A new piece of reporting from The New York Times unveils that the Obama administration rushed to get firm, legal policy in place on lethal drone strikes before the outcome of the presidential election earlier this month.

The urgency of the situation came from wanting to clear up any ambivalence with established precedent and rules in case President Obama didn’t return for a second term, according to the story, which cites two administration officials.

The U.S. military and the CIA both carry out their own strikes, but there are situations when different facets of the White House disagree about implementation, such as should deadly force be used against unidentified targets, according to the story.

Demonstrators against CIA-operated American drone strikes in Pakistan march along the main thoroughfare in Islamabad, Jinnah Avenue, December 10, 2010. The presidential palace can be seen in the background. Saeed Shah/MCT